The Switch-It CTRL+5 with Voice Activation by Sunrise Medical has been named a 2025 Mobility Management Product Award winner in the Electronics, Power Wheelchair category by Mobility Management.
The Mobility Management Product Awards program honors outstanding product development in Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) and accessibility. Courtney Chance, Associate Power Product Manager at Sunrise Medical, sat down with Mobility Management to share more about the Switch-It CTRL+5 with Voice Activation solution and their thoughts on the future of the industry. To learn more about the Mobility Management Product Awards and view all of this year’s winners, visit https://mobilitymgmt.com/product-awards/.
MM: Tell us about the Switch-It CTRL+5 with Voice Activation, including its top features and benefits.
Chance: The Switch-It CTRL+5 with Voice Activation is the industry’s first voice-activated power seating control system for power wheelchairs. The CTRL+5 already allows intuitive control via push buttons and toggle switches, but Voice Activation enables riders to tilt, recline, elevate their legs, and access preprogrammed seating functions by saying “Hello Sunrise,” followed by a command.
MM: In designing this product, what were the top goals of the design team/engineers?
Chance: The design of the CTRL+5 with Voice Activation was focused on improving people’s lives by providing them increased independence and confidence. The goal was to empower riders to manage posture and comfort independently, supporting health and daily function.
MM: Who benefits from your product? Can you offer a “typical” client profile, including diagnosis/presentation, indications/contraindications?
Chance: Voice control is particularly valuable for individuals with limited dexterity or difficulty reaching their controller, including those using sip-and-puff devices, head arrays, or mini joysticks — such as riders with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, or muscular dystrophy.
MM: Does your winning product offer adjustability or customizability for the different needs of different clients? If yes, can you describe that adjustability/customizability?
Chance: The CTRL+5 is a flexible system: traditional input options are fully available, settings can be personalized by a dealer, and voice control can be turned on or off at any time. For users who may have a softer voice, an external microphone can be added and placed closer to the rider for increased ease of use.
MM: How does your winning product optimize independence, function, safety, confidence, success with everyday goals, etc., for its consumers?
Chance: By allowing more riders to move their seating independently, who may have otherwise been reliant on a care provider, this supports clinically recommended position changes, promoting pressure relief, circulation, and overall comfort throughout the day.
When seating positions are changed using voice commands, the length of time a component moves can be adjusted based on consumer preference. For example, if a rider consistently moves to a certain height for transfers, this time can be saved, allowing a single voice command to move the chair into a safe transfer height. Similarly, when paired with memory seating, any position can be programmed and then recalled with a single voice command.
MM: What funding options are available for this product? Examples: Is it HCPCS coded?
Chance: No additional funding or justification is required for voice activation. Voice activation is standard on all CTRL+5 switch boxes. Additionally, when ordering a QUICKIE MPC power wheelchair, the CTRL+5 is included at no additional charge. With such innovative technology, we did not want funding to be a barrier.
